Dr. Mark Mason, M.D. and his wife, Jill Mason, have been loyal friends of The Cibolo since the beginning.
Part of the original group of Friends of the Cibolo Wilderness, they have helped plant trees along our trails, fix up the visitor center, fund-raise and so much more over the last 35 years.
Brent Evans, also part of the original friends, comments that Mark and Jill are “true unsung heroes of the Cibolo and are a treasure to our community.”
Today, Mark is a friendly and familiar face around The Herff Farm. He can be found on Saturdays at the Farmers Market chatting with old friends or during the week working with volunteers in the Inspiration Garden, a place he “imagined” 12 years ago.
“It was started to be adjacent to the farmers market,” Mark said about the vision he originally had for the garden space. “The first idea was that people could come and get farm fresh produce from vendors at the market and walk through the garden for inspiration for their own gardens and kitchens at home.”
Mark was so invested in the project he cut the beams for the garden fence from his own trees on his land and sent them out to be milled. He even learned to weld so he could create the gates of the garden. The beams and gate are still up today.
Over the years, the Inspiration Garden has seen visitors from all over and volunteers continue to come back season after season.
“Unfortunately, some of our most devoted volunteers have aged out since Covid,” he said. Despite this, he said he finds encouragement in the continued interest of new volunteers, like enthusiastic college students who have signed up through platforms like Givepulse.
“Our volunteering has evolved, and that’s kept me interested and showing up,” he added.
Mark points out another change as the community faces water restrictions due to drought.
“Right now is an incredibly good time to talk to people about starting gardens because Cow Creek water restrictions say you can’t water lawns at all,” he said, “but you can water a home garden. Gardens use half as much water.
“With this drought, we have kind of a new audience who may not have been a part of our usual visitors, which are mostly folks interested in healthy, fresh food,” he added.
Education, food, community, and the joy of gardening have always been at the heart of Mark’s vision for The Inspiration Garden. As time went on, he found that vision resonated with others.
“People who volunteer out here the most, they have their own gardens at home, they don’t need to be here. They come to spend time around other people, hang out, and talk about the thing we all like doing.”
And though the years have brought change, he doesn’t worry about this small garden being left behind. “As Boerne grows, its younger and larger community could benefit from the educational offerings of a garden and its gardeners here.”
The Inspiration Garden is a space that has been so cared for, for so long, by people with no obligation to do so. It has been connecting people to the earth and to each other.
As for its future, Mark said “a garden is really never done. A garden grows, changes, adapts. It’s a process.”
Come see the Inspiration Garden for yourself Saturdays 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at The Herff Farm, 33 Herff Road during the Farmers Market.
“With this drought, we have kind of a new audience who may not have been a part of our usual visitors, which are mostly folks interested in healthy, fresh food.”
- Mark Mason Inspiration Garden developer
Comment
Comments